Hope
by Lazeralk
Summary: AU Crossover. The apocalypse has come and gone, the world has been devistated. Of the planet's defenders, only four remain. Ancient creatures rise in the wake of chaos, shrieking for blood.
1. Begining of the End

Hope

By: Lazeralk

Dragon Ball Z/NightWalker/Vampire Hunter D/Vampire Princess Miyu/Hellsing

Standard Disclaimers apply

Part 1

Author's notes: This is AU and I screwed the timeline six ways to Sunday. Here's what I changed: Chibi Trunks and Goten havent been born yet. Cell hasn't shown up, and won't either. Piccolo and Kami never fused, Dende was Kami's apprentice and is therefore on Earth. Gohan is nine years old, Mirai Trunks is still in the past and is living with Bulma and her family while he coaches the other Z fighters on beating the Andriods who have just recently surfaced. For the vampires, if you have questions or want to refresh your memory, e-mail me at mayaxdragon(at)yahoo(dot) com and I'll send you pics from whichever series/movie you want and a brief summary.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

He'd done it. He'd finally done it. The Dragon Balls were his, and now he could cleanse the planet of the filth that was killing it. Now he could rid the universe of the curse known as mankind. He cackled with mad delight, laughing hysterically as the sky grew dark and the might dragon Shenron threw back his head and roared.

"Who has summoned me?" he boomed, his majestic voice filling the lunatic with fear and awe.

"I have! My wish is the destruction of this planet! Purify the universe! Destroy the disease known as humans!" the madman howled.

"Your wish is granted." Intoned the dragon solemnly before vanishing in a blinding flash of light.

The madman laughed, even as the world began to shake. The plants shriveled and died, the animals dropped to the ground and didn't move, thousands of people collapsed forever, never knowing what had hit them.

Far above the Earth, atop a splendid tower, Kami screamed and fell to his knees.

"Nooo!" he moaned as his planet shuddered with pain. In one final desperate move to stop the apocalypse, he called for Piccolo.

The younger Namek twitched in irritation, not liking that his afternoon meditation was being disturbed. Goku and Gohan were below him, playing like children in the water beneath his falls. He sat cross-legged, hovering in mid-air with his eyes closed.

-What do you want old man? This had better be good. – he snapped mentally. Suddenly the world trembled and the grass around his own private paradise began to brown and then fade completely, leaving only dirt and rocks behind. The waterfall that had always marked his home, seemed to dry up before his eyes.

-What the hell is going on?! – he demanded of Kami, ignoring the pain he was mentally receiving from his other half.

-Piccolo, someone has made a terrible wish. We must both die, before the power of the dragon destroys the world! Please Piccolo, we haven't much time! – screamed Kami in his head.

"What the…?" he asked aloud, then he dropped into the now shallow pool beneath him in pure shock and agony. His soul felt like it was being ripped out, his whole body wracked with pain.

"Piccolo!" cried Gohan in alarm as he rushed to his mentor's side. Goku swiftly picked his rival up and carefully deposited him on the dry ground, his face glowing with concern.

"Piccolo!" called Gohan again, this time nearly sobbing as he helplessly watched one of his closest friends wither in pain.

"What's happening? What's going on? Piccolo! How do I help you?!" demanded Goku franticly, his mind in a panic.

Piccolo scrunched his eyes closed as he realized what had happened, Kami had killed himself. The world was about to be destroyed because of a wish, and he had to stop it. It wasn't that he cared for the planet that had become his surrogate home, but because of Gohan. He loved the boy as if he were his own son and it pained him more than anything to think of him dead. He nearly screamed as another wave of pain hit him, and he felt the world dying beneath his clawed fingers. He made a reckless choice, screaming out loud.

"Goku! Kill me!"

"What?! Are you crazy?! I could never do that!" shouted the Saiyajin.

"Do it, or the world will be destroyed! Do it now!" he demanded, his pointed nails digging into his chest.

"What's happening?! Why, Piccolo? There has to be some other way!" exclaimed Goku as he pried his friend's fingers away from his bleeding skin.

"No other way! The dragon! Wish! Everything's dying! Kill me, it's the only way!"

Goku's eyes filled with horror at Piccolo's choked explanation. Someone had wished for everything to die? He'd kill the bastard! It wasn't fair, his friend shouldn't have to die like this! They'd only just started battling the Androids. Piccolo was supposed to be there for that!

"Goku! Now!"

Goku snapped to the present, he put his hands on Piccolo's chest, ready to send a ki blast through him. His fingers shook, his head bowed.

"I can't do it. I can't." He said, his shoulders trembling with repressed tears.

"Piccolo." Moaned Gohan, burying his nine-year-old head in his mentor's shoulder, soaking the white cloth with his tears.

"For you Gohan." Gasped Piccolo, fighting for control of his voice.

"For your future, my death is worth it. Be strong. You have to rebuild the world, but I have to die to make sure there's a world left…for you to rebuild. Goku. Don't you dare let this world die you moron. I'd never forgive you." He growled, his whole body quaking, his muscles spasming.

Goku sniffed and shook his head.

"I can't."

"You pitiful excuse for a man! You aren't worthy of being saved! You're…you're a horrible father; you don't even know what your son is doing when he says trig! You just eat all day, you even suck at fighting!" ranted Piccolo, his voice rising maliciously.

"Hey!" said Goku, his eyes narrowing. That was going too far.

"You loser! You can't do anything right! You don't even know how to make ki blasts!" sneered the Namek, rage in his coal black eyes.

"Why you…!" hissed Goku, his aura flaring around him.

The world buckled, mountains toppled, killing millions. Oceans flooded, washing away cities. Volcanoes erupted, earthquakes split the ground, tornadoes ripped apart houses, and hurricanes crumbled buildings. People screamed and the blood flowed freely. The side of a mountain broke away, revealing a black shield underneath. Red lightning crackled across it, the first movement in eons.

Goku's anger clouded brain didn't register what had happened until he heard his son's quiet sobs echoing through the eerie silence. The world wasn't shaking anymore, the storms had dissipated, the volcanoes hissed and died, the oceans quieted. The silence echoed on and on, like a great bell sounding the death toll.

Piccolo's body lay stiff as his green blood seeped from the massive hole in his chest. Goku's eyes widened with disbelief, his breathing came in short halting gasps. He scrambled away from it, his head shaking back and fourth in silent denial.

"NOOOO!!!"

His scream rent the air for miles around before he pulled his son to his chest and rocked back and fourth, tears steaming from his blank and horror-filled eyes.

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Mirai Trunks used one arm to push the slab of concrete off his back. His mother's curled form lay shaking beneath him, terrified but alive. He stared around in shock and sorrow, noting his dismembered time-machine. It looked like his world all over again, everything lying in ruins, the earth brown and dead. Not a single blade of grass was left standing.

"Trunks?" whispered his mother fearfully, clutching his jacket with her right hand. Her other hand was curled protectively against her chest, blood dripping from her fingers.

"Yeah?" he asked, dazed. His eyes scanned the surrounding area for movement, his mind's eye for ki signatures. If this was the work of those damned androids…

"What happened?" she inquired, her voice still breathy and shook.

"I don't know. C'mon, we better find the others." He said, wrapping one arm around her and hauling her to her feet. She winced, but stood on scratched and bruised legs.

The Capsule Corp. Building was nothing but rubble and smoke, a few lingering fires filling the air with ash. Bulma struggled towards it, tripping on rocks and boards.

"Mom! Dad! Vegeta!" she cried, tears dripping down her face as she dug through the debris, searching for her parents and the haughty prince.

Trunks sighed and moved to help her when she'd collapsed for the third time, bloodying her exposed legs even more. He tore through the broken slabs of his house easily, eventually uncovering the bodies of his grandparents. Both were dead, their lifeless hands still clasped together.

Bulma was sobbing, unable to form words as she sat in the wreckage of her home and stared at her parents.

"Mom…" said Trunks, deeply saddened, but more easily accepting of death from his own great losses in his time. He sat next to her and hugged her, not knowing what else to do.

"Arg…" came a voice from what was left of the gravity room. Vegeta pushed pieces of broken equipment off his shoulders and fought to clear his pounding head as he stood.

"What the bloody hell was that?" he asked no one. He frowned as he heard the woman's cries, which only served to make his headache worse. He stomped over to where she sat sobbing in his brat's arms, fully intent on telling her to shut up when he caught sight of the bodies.

His expression darkened as his protective instincts kicked it. Someone had dared to kill his mate's parents. They had hurt her. They would pay.

"We should see what the extent of the damage is." Said Trunks, already slipping back into the mindset of his time, full of noting but survival instincts. They would have to find shelter and secure enough food and water to keep them going until they could move to the next shelter. Hopefully, theirs was the only city that had been targeted.

Vegeta only grunted and took to the air, scanning his widening view. What he saw was not comforting. The land was gray as death, gnarled husks of trees dotting the morbid horizon. Shells of buildings and people alike were strewn about like broken toys.

He let himself come back to the ground, his face set in lines of worry. This was very bad, it now fell to him to make sure his family was all right. Squaring his shoulders, he closed his eyes and reached outwards with his ki, searching for his allies. Kakarot's normally vibrant ki was heavy with despair; Kakarot's brat wasn't looking too good either.

He frowned when he realized that all of the minor ki signatures of the annoying one's that always hung around with Kakarot's were missing. The little bald one, his woman's ex-boyfriend, the green man and the three-eyed man were all gone. Were they dead or hiding or perhaps unconscious? Kakarot would most likely want to find them. Something was nagging at the back of his mind, something that made him uneasy. He wasn't afraid mind you, but worried for his woman's sake. She couldn't defend herself like he and the brat could.

"Let's go. Brat, carry your mother." He ordered, lifting into the air and heading in the direction of Kakarot's ki. For some reason he'd feel better if the other Saiyajin was there to keep an extra eye on her.

Trunks blinked, but silently lifted Bulma's still crying form into his arms and took off. He didn't bother to ask where they were going, it was obvious to him. Bulma sniffed and dried her tears on her son's collar.

"Where are we going?" she asked, trying to tuck her aching legs closer to her body.

"We're going to see Goku mom, and Gohan is with him. Everything will be ok." He told her, praying that he was right.

"Ok." She answered meekly, her shoulder length green hair whipping at her face.

Trunks frowned as he flew, his eyes growing cold and worried as he watched the same bleak landscape pass under him for miles. Was the whole world like this? Were there any people left at all? His ki stretched outward, touching the flickering life force of the dying, and the scattered energies of the living.

There were people left, not many, but some. The world population of about seven billion had been reduced to maybe three or four million. That meant that ninety percent of the population was dead. This wasn't the work of the androids. They couldn't possibly cause this much devastation in such a short amount of time. Something far more catastrophic had happened, but what?

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Goku didn't even feel them coming, one minute he was sitting next to the body of one of his oldest friends, the next Vegeta was yelling at him.

Trunks was standing protectively over Bulma, and Gohan was still clinging to the front of his shirt like he'd never let go.

"Kakarot! Are you even listening to me?!" growled Vegeta, hands on his hips.

"What?" he asked numbly, prying his eyes away from Piccolo.

"What happened Kakarot? Do you even know?" demanded the prince.

"Someone. Don't know who. Someone wished for the end of the world." He said, hugging his son tighter.

"What? What kind of moron would do that?"

"Piccolo told me to kill him. Kami committed suicide. The dragon balls are gone. The wish stopped before it could finish. I killed Piccolo. I can't believe I killed Piccolo." Mumbled Goku as he sniffed, tears still tracing lines down his face.

Vegeta didn't speak for a long time, and Trunks sighed sadly as he offered a prayer to whatever god was left for the souls of his friends, both living and dead.

"We have to find or build some kind of shelter, figure out what we're going to do about food and water too. Survival first, revenge later." Said Trunks quietly. He'd already gone through this before, already faced each new day in a war torn world. Suddenly he collapsed to his knees, his face drawn with pain. The time-machine had been damaged beyond repair and he'd never see his mother as he knew her again. He couldn't ever go home and save his own world from the androids. He'd never kneel at Gohan's grave again, or go to Aunt Chi-Chi's for lunch. The dragon balls were gone. He was trapped here, for good.

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Deep in the ancient halls of a giant castle, ruled by an ancient king, a man opened his eyes for the first time in millennia. He gathered what little strength he had and pushed at the lid of his coffin, taking a shattering gulp of air as he hissed with hunger, his fangs glinting in the darkness.

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Goku, the shock beginning to wear off, wiped at his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to be strong now, for Gohan and Bulma.

"How bad is it?" he asked, running his fingers through Gohan's thick hair comfortingly.

"Ninety percent of the population was wiped out. From what I saw, most if not all the major cities were leveled. There isnt any water or plants accept the oceans and some of the deeper lakes. I couldn't feel any of the others." Answered Trunks from his position on the ground, his voice was hollow.

"None of them?" said Goku fearfully, his voice cracking.

Trunks shook his head.

"Krillin? Tien? Choutsu? Yamacha?"

Again Trunks shook his head.

"Chi-Chi?" asked Goku at just above a whisper, his eyes begging for Trunks to say it wasn't true.

"I'm sorry Goku."

"Nooo. Oh Kami no…" the Sayajin's voice sounded like it were being dragged out of him painfully, agony filling his being. He threw his head back, the tears pouring fresh down his face as he mourned for his wife and his friends.

"We're…all that's left." Said Vegeta, resisting the urge to hug his woman. He was not that weak. Bulma didn't give a damn about his manly pride, she wanted to be held. She stumbled over to him and threw her arms around his shoulders. Vegeta scowled, but wrapped his own arms around her waist, telling himself that it was she who was feeling clingy and not him.

"Where do we go now?" asked Goku.

"I don't know."

End part 1


	2. Rebirth

Hope 

By: Lazeralk

Dragon Ball Z/Nightwalker/Vampire Hunter D/Vampire Princess Miyu/Hellsing

Standard Disclaimers apply.

Part 2

OoOoOoOoOoOoO 

Luke Valentine, in a slightly wrinkled suit, glared down at the form of his sleeping brother. He rested one gnarled and twisted hand on the edge of the coffin and cracked his back loudly. His skin was dry and brown, withered and sunken from his centuries of sleeping starvation.

"Yan." He croaked.

"Yan." He said, his voice more clear this time.

"Get up."

His brother, a wizened corpse in his own right, rolled over and mumbled.

"What?" asked Luke, already growing agitated with his brother.

"Go 'way…wanna sleep." Moaned Yan, putting his bony hands over his shriveled ears.

"No. Let's go get blood." Answered Luke, knowing that the offer would tempt his brother to rise.

"Blood?" asked Yan, turning to regard his brother with hopeful eyes. Several golden rings hung from his face, looking stark against his decaying flesh.

"Yes Yan, blood. You want that don't you?"

"Fuck yes, let's go." He said as he crawled out of the coffin and cracked his own stiff limbs. The brothers turned and walked down the darkened corridor, kicking up dust as they went.

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Trunks sighed as he dug through the pile of rubble that had once been a hardware store. He had a several rolls of rope thrown over each shoulder and stood when he found what he was looking for. He pulled his prize, a few thick plastic tarps, out of the wreckage and flew back to the office building that Bulma had named their new home. Once she'd gotten over her initial grief, she risen to the role of leader, just as he'd known she would. His mother was a strong woman.

The large office building, only a few stories high, was still relatively intact. A big chunk was missing from the roof, but they could fix it temporarily. A wayward mass of rock had smashed into the roof when it had rolled down the side of a mountain. They'd hauled the boulder out and it was lying beside the building looking not so out of place.

Bulma had sent Vegeta and Goku to collect survivors from where ever they could find them. Already a group of orphaned children were cleaning up the spilled supplies and equipment inside. Bulma herself was digging through what she suspected to be a clothing boutique, and seeing what she could salvage. Gohan, under Trunks' instructions was driving pieces of scrap metal into the roof around the hole. They'd use the rope to tie the tarps together and then cover the hole in case of rain.

Goku flew in, carrying a ruined bus full of people. Vegeta returned in a similar fashion, the destroyed passenger car of a train suspended above him. The two Saiyajin warriors gently laid their burdens down and started directing people to go inside the building. People of all ages, looking battered but thankful to be alive, trudged into their safe place and stood around.

Trunks landed on the roof beside Gohan and helped him put the patchwork tarp together so that it would cover the hole completely. They tied it down and then Trunks took over the renovations, having already been through this once before.

"Start hauling the desks and stuff out of the cubicles. They'll serve as rooms until we can start rebuilding. Have everyone pick a cube and then find a pen or something to write your name on the outside. Keep all your stuff inside your cube. If something's to heavy for you to move, ask me, Goku, Vegeta or Gohan. Everyone got that?" he said the gathered people.

They nodded and then set off to do as asked, pushing or carrying useless computers and office chairs out broken windows or through the doors. Complete strangers helped each other drag desks towards the front doors, where the Saiyajin easily piled them up. A permanent marker was passed around as people scrawled their names on the cubicle walls, set down their meager belongings and then went to ask Trunks how they could help.

Trunks began breaking up the people into groups, each one with a specific task. Some were sent to find what ever food was salvageable, some to find clothes, some to find blankets or flashlights or cookware.

The night dragged on, people coming and going until Bulma told Trunks to call it a night. They people wearily collapsed inside their cubicles, hugging what family they had left and slept.

Trunks moved a desk over the broken door and turned to go inside where his mother and father had already picked out a cube for themselves. As he passed the rows of office spaces a woman grabbed at his sleeve.

"My son! Please, have you seen my son? I can't find him anywhere, he was just here, I saw him. Have you seen him?" she asked desperately.

"No, I don't think I have. What does he look like?" asked Trunks.

"He has blonde hair, and blue eyes; he's just a little shorter than you. He was wearing a white shirt and a silver chain with a cross on it." She explained frantically, her face scrunched with worry.

"Let's go look." Said Trunks kindly, pushing the desk aside again and helping the woman over the piles of rubble. They searched for a long time, but found nothing.

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"Hey cut it out. If you drop him one more time, you get to carry him the rest of the way back alone."

"What? That's not fair. It's your turn anyway."

"It's not, you still have twenty minutes to go by my watch."

"Your watch sucks. I've been lugging this dead weight for two fuckin' hours now."

"One hour forty minutes."

"Will you shut the fuck up and take it already?"

"No."

"Oh c'mon let me have a turn with the bitch. You've had her all night."

"As is my right seeing as how she's my kill. You just want to defile her."

"Hell yes. Ah, home sweet home. Let's take the carriage."

"Fine."

Yan and Luke Valentine, a body slung over each shoulder, climbed into the black coach waiting for them at the gates of Noxsang Castle. The chariot raced up the sweep and through the many portcullises before coming to a stop in front of the towering front doors. The two brothers entered the castle; their burdens slung over their shoulders once more and walked the dusty halls towards the coffin room. They found D, a dunpeal, awake and waiting for them atop his coffin.

"Here ya go man." Said Yan, throwing the man at the half-breeds feet. D grasped the mans shoulders and murmured an apology before sinking his elongated fangs into the man's neck and feeding. When he was done, he snapped the silver chain on the neacklace his victim wore and hung it on his sword until he had time to burry the body.

Luke opened the largest and most ornate coffin, a quote carved into the lid, and held the body of the woman over the husk inside. He drew a knife from his coat and slit the woman's throat, spilling blood into the coffin until it overflowed.

(Two Years Later)

"Here mom." Said Trunks, handing his mother, the leader of Hope, a stack of papers. The building they had used since the beginning had been completely renovated, built larger and with more stories. Hundreds of families had flocked to them when they'd heard of Bulma's kindness. The Sayajins protected them from monsters and wild animals, and they slowly rebuilt their economy. A new monetary system had been enforced, an ancient gold standard reenacted.

There were six major "Centers" worldwide, Hope, Peace, Faith, Compassion, Charity, and Love, with new leaders heading each. People were gathering together to make cities and farms again. They were forced to go back to the old ways of life in order to survive. In Bulma's Center, Hope, the people lived under her rule as Queen. Things were far too chaotic to instate a successful democracy.

"Thanks Trunks." Said Bulma, taking the papers.

"Oh, this isnt good."

"What?" asked Trunks, sitting beside her and pulling his own stack of forms towards him.

"We've had ten more missing persons reports."

"Ten? Where is everyone going? I mean, at first we figured that all the missing people were those killed in the apocalypse. But, if people who were already registered with us are disappearing, then…"

"Then what? Where are they all going?"

"Beats me. Pass me the requisitions form will you?"

She handed him a sheet of paper which he filled out and put in a small stack in a metal box. He reached for the next form. Bulma set the missing persons reports aside and picked up another list of grievances. Looks like there'd be another food shortage this year.

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"You're being greedy."

"So what? They're just humans, why should I spare them?"

"Because if you don't, all the humans will die and we won't have anything to eat. Kill another one without my permission and I'll lock you back in your coffin."

"You can't do that."

"Watch me."

The vampiress Carmilla snarled and walked away in a huff, her long red skirts swishing as she went. Arucard rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. That woman was insufferable. A shadow entered the room, and he smiled.

"Hello Larva, you and firefly going out tonight?" he asked. A cloaked figure appeared before the nosferatu and nodded its masked head once. A small girl in a white and purple kimono joined him, nodded to Arucard and turned to leave.

Arucard sighed as he sat heavily on the 'Throne', rubbing his temples. It really wasn't fair, once you're dead, you shouldn't have to put up with headaches anymore.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Uh, mom…you might want to come look at this." Said Trunks, his eyes never leaving the spot directly in front of him.

"What is it?" asked Bulma, coming around the corner with Vegeta. An eleven-year-old Gohan followed them, his face grim.

"More of them huh?" he asked.

Trunks nodded, sighing heavily. In front of their door was a pile of medium sized boxes, all labeled "MISSING PERSONS".

"We really need to deal with this." Said Gohan, stacking the boxes up and lifting them as if they weighed nothing.

Bulma sighed, running a hand tiredly through her growing hair. She'd been so busy that she'd forgotten to get it cut. Not that she could anyway, with most of the major cities around the world totally destroyed. There weren't any salons left standing for her to go to.

On the bright side, people were coming together and helping one another, they were reaching out and slowly learning how to live with compassion again. She turned and followed the boys back inside. She'd just sat down when a dusty Goku wandered in, tossing a hard hat on the battered couch beside the door. He'd been doing most of the heavy labor on the new construction sites. Bulma had set a plan to build fifty new houses by the end of the season, giving places for families to move into and making room for more refugees to set up a home in one of the public shelters.

"Man, I'm hungry." He said, sliding into a seat at the old scratched up coffee table they had in the "War Room".

"We'll eat after we review a few of these Goku, take a look." Said Bulma, pushing a stack of papers towards him and digging into one of the opened boxes for more. Trunks was already flipping through his own pile.

"I'll go get some snacks or something." Said Gohan, muttering to himself.

Ever since the 'Catastrophe' struck, his surrogate family had been overly protective of him. They often left him out of all the important discussions and never let him do any of the heavy work. He only got to sit in on the War Council, when the last remnants of the Z Gang met to make political decisions, because he was family and they usually had dinner in the middle of the meetings.

He pulled open the mini refrigerator that Trunks use to keep his soda supply in and pulled out a few veggie sandwiches. Livestock was almost non-existent and with only the few wells that Bulma had commissioned, vegetables and grain were considered almost sacred. Goku was locating underground water reservoirs and setting up markers in-between house building, but the new wells weren't coming fast enough and two had already dried up. There weren't enough resources to go around.

Vegeta handled all foreign affairs, drawing on the rusted memories of his past as a prince. He'd had limited diplomatic interaction on the behalf of his planet but most of the so-called negotiations were just an excuse to land and start conquering. Freeza had set up a policy that entailed him going to different planets and seeing if he liked the people there or not and sometimes Vegeta went along to 'learn the ropes'.

Trunks was an administrator like Bulma, they both ran the home front, though Trunks was more in charge of agriculture. Bulma directed all the social aspects of Hope. Goku was in charge of public relations, namely going out among the people and actually helping them get back on their feet. Gohan did whatever small things he could to help out, but was mostly left at home.

"Hey mom?"

"Yes honey?"

"Do we have a map?" Trunks was flipping through pages as quickly as his fingers could turn them, his eyebrows drawn together.

"I think so, why? Did you find something?"

"I might have. Take a look at the locations of all these disappearances. I mean, our population is just short of three thousand. We have two hundred missing person's reports. Under past circumstances that would be a little much but not cause for panic. If you compare the area of most of these so-called kidnappings, they all come from the North. Look, Juniper Street, Willow, Duckpool, and North Clearwater. Those are all streets on the north side of town." Explained Trunks.

"Yeah, but what's up there? After Clearwater, the town just ends. There's a big wall there, facing the mountains. It can't be wild animals or even monsters coming from that direction. We might have a person on the inside doing it. Like a murderer or something."

"No bodies. Two hundred corpses do not hide well." Added Bulma.

"If the bodies weren't hidden in the city?" asked Gohan. "What if they were taken out of the city without anyone seeing?"

"You mean like dumped out in the wastelands?"

"Well, maybe."

"No, the nomads would have reported something, the bounties would be everywhere and we'd be flooded with mercenaries. So no bodies laying around in the wastelands."

"Hidden in the wastelands?"

"Where?" Asked Trunks incredulously.

"I don't know, the mountains? What about the Dead Lake?" countered Gohan.

"No big enough, even if the acid instantly eats up sixty percent of the crap thrown in it. The mountains have possibilities."

"I can go take a look at the north wall." Offered Goku.

"Yeah, that'd be good. Thanks."

"Alright, here's what's going to happen." Said Bulma as she stood up. "Goku, check out the wall. Trunks, issue a general warning to the public, advise people to stay inside and with other people at all times. Vegeta, fly over to Faith and Compassion City and see if they have any similar problems. See if you can get copies of their reports for comparison."

The three men stood and left to carry out their respective tasks, nodding to Bulma as they went. Gohan frowned at her, hands on his hips.

"What about me? I want to help too, I sick of being left behind all the time." He whined.

"Oh! Sorry Gohan. Um…you know what? I have an idea for you. It's a big responsibility, but if you think you can handle it, then here's what I want you to do."

"I can handle it."

"You don't even know what it is yet silly." Said Bulma affectionately as she patted his head.

"I can still handle it." Insisted Gohan.

"Alright, I want you to organize a nightly patrol of the streets on the north side. Five men to a patrol and see if you can get some volunteers. You can ask Thompson to help you out with supplies and stuff okay? Sound good?"

"Yeah Bulma! It's great! I wont let you down I promise!" said an overly excited Gohan as he jumped for joy. He wasn't being left out again. In fact, he was going out into the city and actually helping the people. More importantly however, was the fact that he actually had an important role to play this time around.

Plans running through his head, he rushed down the hall to find Thompson, an ex-military officer in charge of the supply depot and the weapons cache.

End part 2


	3. The Hunt is On

Hope 

By: Lazeralk

Dragon Ball Z/Nightwalker/Vampire Hunter D/Vampire Princess Miyu/Hellsing

Standard Disclaimers apply

Part 3

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Shidou frowned at the pickings on the street, Guni peaking out of his knee length purple hair.

"I wish I didn't have to do this." He whispered to her.

"I hear ya Shidou, but it doesn't look like ya got much choice. Look at it this way, at least there aren't any Breeds lurking around." Replied the tiny green fairy.

Sighing heavily, the former detective made his way through the stone paved streets, his eyes searching out a kill for the night. Riho needed the blood too, and he couldn't deny her it because of his own squeamishness. His tan trench coat and the long scarf hung over his shoulders moved with the slight breeze.

There were very few people out, the crude houses were dark. The state of the world saddened him, and at the same time made him hope that just maybe, it might be the way it was when he was human again.

The steady click of his polished shoes, a noise that had been a lulling backdrop for his nocturnal sojourn, was interrupted by the sound of voices. A group of five men and a young boy came around a corner and started walking towards him.

"Looks like this is it." Whispered Guni, hidden in his long locks.

"Oh, damn." He whispered back.

"Hey mister!" called the boy. "You shouldn't be out right now. Didn't you get the notice?"

"No. What notice?" replied Shidou with a frown.

"Theirs been lots of disappearances lately, so the Queen issued a curfew and night patrols. The notice was sent to every house and shelter in the city." Answered the boy.

"Disappearances? Wow. That curfew is a good idea then." Said Shidou, reaching up to brush a lock of hair out of his face.

"Hey, you have hair like Trunks! I've never seen anyone else that has the same color hair as his before."

"Is that so? It is pretty rare you know, has been for a very long time. Say, what's a kid like you doing out with the night patrols? Shouldn't you be in bed by now?"

"I'm in charge of the patrols. Queen's orders. I'm Gohan by the way."

"I don't remember what my real name is, but you can call me Shidou. I'm so sorry to do this to you, but it can't be avoided."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Shidou bit into his thumb and sent spears of blood into the chests of the five men. While the boy stared in horror, the vampire struck him hard across the temple. By the time he recovered from the blow, Shidou and the five men were gone.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"But I saw it!" cried Gohan, hands fisted at his side.

"Are you sure? I mean, spears made out of blood? That's kinda weird." Replied Trunks skeptically.

"If Gohan says he saw it then he saw it. Leave it be Trunks." Scolded Bulma.

"Look son, we'll all go with you tonight and see if we can find this Shidou guy again ok? How's that sound?"

"Yeah, ok. We'll all go tonight."

"All except Bulma."

"Vegeta!"

"Shut it woman. You're not going and that's it. You're the Queen, and you're weak."

"You're the King and Goku kicks your butt every time!"

"You're human woman. Just stay here and wait for us to come back. Do some paper work or something."

"Oh you are _so_ sleeping on the floor tonight buddy!" growled Bulma.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"We need to lie low for a while." Shidou dropped the five cooling corpses in the middle of the audience hall. Arucard, the most powerful among them, descended the short flight of stairs to the floor and lifted one of the men as if he weighed nothing.

"Why's that?" asked the elder vampire before sinking fang into the jugular to feed.

"They've just now noticed us. Curfew is being enforced and they have patrols on the streets. I know at least one person saw me kill tonight."

"Fool, you should have killed him." Snarled Arucard. Shidou flinched and bowed his head.

"He was a child. You know how I am with kids." He mumbled in excuse.

"Shidou?" called a soft voice.

"Riho." Answered the longhaired vampire. A young girl came bounding out of the shadows to give her maker a welcome home kiss.

"You need to eat Riho." He told his charge gently, pulling a glass off a table against the wall. He bit into the wrist of one of the untouched men and let the blood spill into the goblet. When it was full, he handed it to the girl who drank daintily.

"We'll have to ration ourselves now that we've all fully recovered." Said Arucard, filling a glass for himself. He ghosted back up the steps to his throne and sat, throwing one leg over his knee.

"We'll still alternate hunters but we'll cut the hunts down to once a week. These five should last us until next week, then we'll send out Larva and firefly. Shidou, you'll be last on the hunting schedule since you've been sighted, and Riho will have to begin hunting as well." He ordered.

"And what of me?" asked a deadpan voice from the shadows. D gracefully entered the room with his cyborg horse, a beast he'd taken from the stables.

"D. You may not like it but you'll have to hunt also." Said Arucard.

D's face tightened with defiance.

"I swore never to slay a human." He said, his voice cool and calm as always.

"We cannot feed you forever while you sit and polish your sword half-breed. You'll have to pull your weight around here."

"I kill vampires." Intoned the dunpeal quietly.

"So do I. What's your point?" retorted the No Life King with a nasty smirk.

"Then I must take my leave of you."

"Go then if you will, but you will hunt eventually. There is no more livestock, save the humans. You will break down and drink one day half-breed."

D did not reply, he simply mounted his horse and cantered slowly towards the gates.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"There isn't anyone out but us Gohan. Maybe we should call it a night."

"No. He's got to be around here somewhere."

Goku sighed as he followed his son down Clearwater Street in search of the mystery man with the long purple hair.

"Do you remember how he felt at all?" asked Trunks whose power was beginning to flare in response to his frustration. They'd been searching for a few hours and hadn't found anything.

"Not really. It was almost like he wasn't there. That's why I was so surprised, see, it was like he didn't have any life energy at all. I didn't think he could move so fast."

"No life energy? That's impossible. Everything has life energy, even trees and stuff. Are you sure he was human? Could he have been an off-worlder?"

"He looked pretty human, though I can't remember if he had blue eyes or gold eyes." Said Gohan with a finger to his lips.

"Gohan. It's getting really late. Lets turn in. We can search later ok?" said an exasperated Trunks.

"Yeah ok. I guess if we haven't found him by now he's not out."

"Finally." Growled Vegeta, taking off towards home. The others took to the air also, Gohan casting one last hopeful glance around. The streets were as empty as when they'd started.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

After a whole week of nightly searches that proved as pointless as the last, Gohan finally gave up on finding Shidou on the streets again. He sat in the War Room looking over the reports, combing for clues to the purple haired man. Surely someone had seen something.

Goku had located a substantial underground reservoir and the morale of the people in Hope City had risen as wells were slowly drilled. Gohan has given his father a smile and congratulations, but not much else. He was obsessed with finding Shidou, even if he had to track him down. Nothing could convince him to give up his search.

"Um. Mister?" asked a small voice at his elbow. Gohan looked up from the papers he'd been reading and found the face of a girl a bit younger than himself and smiled down at her.

"Yeah? What is it?" he asked, turning to give her his full attention.

"My mom said to come get you cuz you were looking for the guy with the purple hair." She said.

"You know about him?" asked Gohan excitedly.

"He came to my house the other night and gave my mom a little box." Replied the child.

"What was in it?"

"My daddy's necklace and a letter."

"Can you take me to see your mom?" he asked, itching to read the letter.

"Ok!" the girl cried and took him by the hand. She led him out of the room and past the weapons cache. Thompson wolf-whistled and gave him a leering smirk.

"Hey, Gohan! Cute girlfriend!" he teased.

Gohan flipped him the bird and let the girl drag him out the door and into the streets. They reached one of the newly built houses, a small box-like structure that looked just like every other house in the city, and the girl opened the front door.

"Mommy! I'm home, and I brought Mister with me!"

"Cassandra? Oh hello Mister Gohan. Please come in."

Gohan gave a polite bow and answered with all the manners his mother had taught him.

"Hello ma'am, Thank you."

The woman smiled brightly at him, setting the loaf of bread she'd just finished baking on the counter to cool.

"I take it you're here about the letter?" she said.

"Yes ma'am, if it's not to much to ask, I'd like to read it." Replied Gohan.

The woman's smile faltered, but she pulled a single sheet of paper from her pocket.

"My husband was on the night patrol with you a week ago Mister Gohan. I'm not sure what to think of this."

Gohan's eyes widened as he took in the implications of that statement. He hoped she didn't resent him for being alive when her husband was dead. She handed him the letter and sat down at the table, pulling her daughter up to sit on her lap.

Gohan swallowed and took the letter, noting the paper was actually parchment and very old. Where would anyone get parchment? Pushing the confusing thought to the back of his mind, he opened the letter and began to read.

'Lady Sarah,

I'm terribly sorry for the loss of your husband. However, his death was necessary for the continued survival of myself and mine. There is no specific reason as to why we chose him; he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Please do not feel that he deserved this death in any way. I regret having to kill him, but I also refuse to let my daughter starve. Please understand that it was his life or hers, and I love her far too much to let her die. I know that this will come as little consolation to you, but it is all I have to offer. I cannot ask for your forgiveness, but beseech you not to hate.

Sincerely, Takamura Shidou'

Gohan read the letter many times over, his hands shaking as he held his only solid clue to the mystery that was the purple haired man. Tatsuhiko Shidou.

"I'll find you yet." He whispered to himself.

End Part 3


	4. Answers and Questions

Hope 

By: Lazeralk

Dragon Ball Z/Nightwalker/Vampire Hunter D/Vampire Princess Miyu/Hellsing

Standard Disclaimers apply

Part 4

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Trunks Briefs, a towel slung over his shoulders to keep his wet hair off his neck, walked into the War Room with a stack of papers in his calloused hands. He found Gohan hunched over the table, his feet kicking slowly as he scribbled on a sheet of paper.

"Hey Gohan. What's up?" said Trunks, setting his own pile down.

"I got a lead." Gohan said with a smug grim.

"A lead? Really? That's great Gohan!" Trunks said with a smile.

"I know, check it out." replied the brunette as he handed a copy of Sarah's letter to his friend.

"What's this?" the lavender haired warrior asked as he snatched the paper. His eyes scanned the writing quickly, then widened as he read it over a second time.

"Is this real?"

"Uh-huh." Answered the brunette from the table.

"Wow. I mean, _wow _Gohan. We can so _nail_ this guy now. We have a written confession and everything."

"I know. Told you he was out there."

Trunks had the decency to look ashamed, knowing that he had been his friend's biggest doubter when it came to the purple haired mystery man.

"Hey, about that Gohan…"

"Don't worry about Trunks, it's ok."

"No man, it's not. I'm really sorry." Said Trunks, placing a hesitant hand on the younger boy's shoulder.

"Trunks, give it a rest. I forgive you." Said Gohan, giving his best friend a big smile.

Trunks offered one of his own and then set to work on his growing stack of papers.

"So, you're gunna help me find him right?" asked Gohan, eyeing his friend across the table.

"Yeah, sure Gohan. Tonight?"

"Yeah."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Shidou sighed, absently stroking Riho's hair as they lounged on the sofa in their shared rooms. His little charge was fast asleep on his chest, while he was propped up on a stack of pillows, facing the huge windows in their sitting room. The night air was filled with wisps of fog; slowing drifting in an intricate dance, lead by the breeze. Arucard himself was out in the streets tonight, looking for a kill to bring home to the kiss. The purple haired vampire shivered at the thought. The King was not known for compassion, as he was, or even indifference as D was. Arucard was insane, psychotic to the point of cruelty.

Shidou offered a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Arucard be quick about his kill. Quick, and therefore merciful, to whichever poor soul stumbled across his path this night.

A loud bang echoed though the castle, though it probably wasn't so loud when he considered his vampiric hearing.

"Riho." He called softly, shaking his little charge awake.

"Wha-?" she asked groggily as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Stay here, I heard something." He said, lifting her easily and then standing. He deposited her gently back on the sofa and draped his long coat over her shoulders as she settled back into the pillows. With one last glance at her innocent face, he vanished as if he'd never been.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Goku, who'd kept his promise to Bulma and was exploring the northern most reaches of the city, stared up in absolute shock. A castle, a really huge and impressive castle, was sitting upon the side of the mountain as if it had been there all along. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, not sure if it was really there. How could they have possibly missed it? He'd flown over this area a hundred times before and never noticed it.

On a whim, he lifted himself up into the sky and looked down on the castle, watching in amazement, as the massive building seemed to disappear right before his eyes. The higher he flew, the less of the castle he saw.

Utterly confused and astounded with his recent discovery, he set himself back on the ground and began to jog up the long drive, ducking under the many wicked looking portcullises. He passed statues of mean looking dogs with many eyes and winged gargoyles that leered down at him.

Feeling slightly creeped out, he quickened his pace and stared straight at the looming front doors as he approached, not wanting to linger too long on the demonic looking ornaments. The doors were hooded by an impressive sweeping alcove made of what looked like black marble. The doors themselves were carved out of some sort of polished stone with inlays of precious metals and gems.

The image of a great dragon, snarling evilly, looked back at him from the doors. A banner floated above the beast, something in Latin carved in flowing calligraphy on it. Goku studied it for a moment but was unable to discern its meaning.

He put one hand to the door and pushed lightly, mindful of his Saiyajin strength.

The door didn't budge.

Confused, he pushed a little harder, but the door still refused to move. Frowning in concentration, he pushed with both hands, putting his full strength behind it. This time the door swung open on silent hinges and slammed against the wall. Cringing at the sound, the warrior crept into the hall, his eyes darting wildly from one thing to another as he struggled to take it all in.

There were huge oil paintings, thick drapes of velvet, beautifully embroidered tapestries, and ornaments of gold, silver and jewels scattered around the room. It was like walking into a movie about the old King Arthur legends for Goku, who'd never seen anything like it before in his life.

He kept walking, turning this way and that, trying to see everything. A huge carpeted staircase invited him upward, blood red against the black stone of the steps. A chill passed over him as he gazed at the portrait that hung at the top of the stairs. A man sat in a high backed chair, a red coat and matching hat adorned his body, thick yellow glasses obscured his eyes, but he looked relaxed. With one long leg crossed over the other, his hands folded casually in his lap and an unnerving smirk on his pale face, the man dared anyone to oppose him. Goku didn't want to find out if the man was still in the castle or not.

"You should go back." Said a voice from behind him, a soft almost supple whisper in the dark.

Goku whirled on the spot, his eyes comically wide as he looked at the strikingly beautiful man who had just snuck up on him. Confused and somewhat fascinated, he tried desperately to get a grip on the man's life force, to see him with his minds eye for power. There was nothing, a faint wisp of something, just barely brushing his senses, but nothing more.

"Who are you?" asked the Saiyajin, his eyes drinking in every detail of the slender youth before him.

"That's not important right now. You have to go back, I don't want you to die." Said the stranger, taking a step forward into the dim candlelight.

Goku gasped when he saw him, fully and in the revealing light.

"You're him! The one Gohan is chasing! The man with the purple hair." Said Goku, pointing incredulously, mouth hanging open in shock. He couldn't wait to tell his son! He'd found the mystery man; Gohan would be so happy.

"I am. I'm sorry Gohan had to see what he did, but I have my reasons. Please, you must go. The King will return soon and you can't be here when he does. Please, I beg of you, go!" the purple haired man pleased.

"But, wait, I don't understand! I have so many questions for you!" said Goku, hastily approaching his newfound companion.

"What's your name? Why did you kill those people? Was what Gohan said true? That you can make spears out of blood? Do you know Trunks? He had hair like you…" said Goku trailing off when the man laughed aloud, a truly joyful sound.

"My name is Shidou." He said, taking Goku by the hand and leading him out of the main hall and back to the alcove above the door.

"I'm a vampire. My child is also a vampire and very weak. She was young when she was laid to rest and so she doesn't have the strength she used to. She needs blood every night just to keep her going. I killed, because I had to, because I will not let her die. What Gohan said was true; I can make spears out of blood, though I use my own to do it. I have never met Trunks, but after hearing so much about him, I am curious. Now please, you have to get back to the city and promise me that you will never come back to Noxsang Castle." Shidou guided the bulkier man down the walkway as he spoke, amused with the way Goku kept his face turned towards his while he walked, trusting Shidou not to run him into a wall or anything.

"Are you really a vampire?" asked Goku skeptically, eyeing him critically.

Shidou gave an exasperated sigh and looked the Saiyajin directly in the eyes. He called on his power and felt his pupils shift to cat like slits; his irises turn from a soft aqua to a burning gold. Goku jumped when he realized what had happened, but didn't give Shidou the reaction he'd been looking for.

"Whoa! That's so neat!"

Shidou growled at him, flashing fang, but Goku only poked his teeth to see if they were real or not.

Shidou's left eye twitched, earning a giggle out of the brunette.

"Just go. Please go now." Said the vampire, exasperation touching his voice. He pushed the other man's back gently, steering him towards the last few sets of portcullises.

Goku frowned but nodded, not wanting to upset his new friend.

"I'll go for now, but I still want answers to all the questions bouncing around my head. Is there any way you could come back with me sometime?" he asked, turning around to face the lavender haired gentleman.

"You are implying that you will return to this castle, something I have forbidden. This place is dangerous. It was by pure luck that I am here and not one of the others. They would not hesitate to slay you. Perhaps, when it is my turn to hunt, I will seek you out and we can talk. I cannot promise to answer all of your questions, but I will try to satisfy your curiosity." He said, still gently guiding the Saiyajin towards the exit.

"Alright, I'll see you soon then?"

"In about a week. Now please, go."

"Ok then, see you later!" said Goku with a jaunty wave as he took to the sky and flew away. He didn't notice how Shidou's eyes widened with shock, or that the vampire was now racing towards the castle like the hounds of hell were on his heels. And perhaps they were, for Arucard had just returned.

End Part 4


End file.
